Research Methodology Followed

Process Overview

Research has a significant role to play in any project. Here, in this project we have done our secondary and primary research through various means to gather numerous insights about the topic of choice. This included the use of various methods and tools as listed below.

Covid -19 Consequences

As of July 2020

The project was completed with the help of multiple discussions between team members and meetings with faculty mentor on various platforms. More details on the platforms used are also mentioned below.

As of April 1, 2020

Pursuance of the notification concerning the containment of COVID-19 by Government of Gujarat dated March 15, 2020, NID educational activity was suspended from 16th March 2020 with immediate effect till further notifications. We moved to our respective hometown. Hence the project activity had to be paused until the situation was back to normal.

However, we are progressing with our work online from home. We have conducted series of discussions between the team members and with faculty mentor on various online platforms.

Research Planning

Here are the various stages of a research with a brief description of our progress in each stage.

1. Initial Brainstorming

This is one of the most crucial steps of any project. This included dumping of keywords and points related to the seasonal aspects of a craft by the team members. The ideas of "Season" and its meaning in various context were explored within the scope of our knowledge. This helped us to understand the topic without any restrictions or constraints.

1. Secondary research

The secondary research involved understanding of the topic in depth with available resources online and offline. Various journal papers, articles, websites, books, etc. were the initial resources helpful in this part of the research. This provided us with more clarity in understanding of the word "Season" in the world of handicrafts. Be it the natural seasons, the festival as seasons or the seasons based on sales of artisans and/or requirements of consumers.

Based on the data found regarding the seasonal influences on crafts in the secondary research, we traced certain crafts available around the college for field research. Since the data available online is limited, primary research would help us in understanding the topic first hand.

1. Primary research

The primary research included multiple levels of research including first hand experience with various stakeholders of the craft sector.

It began with few interviews with faculty of NID (Names) who have worked or are working in this sector. This helped us to get a lead towards few of the craft sectors in and around Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, which were probably practiced seasonally.

With the combination of information we gathered from secondary research, discussion with mentor and faculties, we decided to visit Ambala, a village 100 km north west of Gandhinagar. Following the visit, we continued to the Prajapati Community practicing pottery in Shaktinagar Society, Becharaji, Mehsana district.

After interacting with artisans here, we went on to interact with local school principal and gram panchayat to know more about the local facilities and town structure in detail.

1. Documentation Tools Used

To capture information in the form of notes, photographs, videos etc. during the field visits and of the team in action through out the project.

1. - Photography - Mobile Phones, DSLR Camera, GoPro Camera
  - Videography - Mobile Phones, DSLR Camera, GoPro Camera
  - Audio Recording - Mobile Phones
  - Illustrations - Live Sketches of ideas, etc. for reference and further development
  - Written information
  - Observation - Visual observation of surroundings during the visits. Also the observations by the team members of the expressions and behaviours of various stakeholders involved.
  - Brochures - To get basic information like brief description about places visited and the contact details.

Questions seeked to be answered

This section lists the various questions derived from our secondary research.

The answers to these questions provide more clarity towards our understanding of the subject. Also, the questions are framed keeping in mind the possibility of various stakeholders and their roles in an artisan's craft practice.

Intention behind selecting the topic
1. Why did we select the topic?

Season and craft
1. What is a seasonal craft?
2. When is the craft practiced? is it seasonal?
3. What is the 'season' in this craft?
4. What do they do in the season of the craft?
5. How is the season affecting the craft?
6. How is the season affecting the product?

Solution based
1. What/where are the changes that we can bring?
2. How can we create the motivation to create the craft?

Stakeholders and effects
1. Who are the people involved in the craft?
2. Who are the stakeholders?
3. How are they getting affected?
4. How they are affecting?
5. Who looks after the welfare/maintenance of the society?
6. Which are the ministries/organizations helping them?
7. Who do the constructions works in their place?
8. What is the role of government in their lifestyle/life?
9. What is the role of government in the craft production
10. What are the gender roles in the craft?
11. How are they interested in the craft making process?

Products
1. How climatic conditions affect the lifetime of the product?
2. What are the range of the products made?
3. How did they acquire the skill
4. What is the purpose of the products?

Location
1. Why are they located in that area?
2. Where is the process conducted?

Off-season and craft
1. How does the residential area affect them in off seasonal /seasonal time?
2. What difficulties do they face during off-season and what are the existing solution?
3. Who is helping during off season?
4. What is off season for this craft?
5. What do they do in the off season of the craft?

Craft making
1. What are the processes involved in the craft making?
2. what are the process involved in the raw material procurement?
3. from where do they get the raw material?
4. How is the storage system of the raw material?
5. what are the tools used the in the manufacturing process?
6. Who provides the tools used?
7. Who provides the infrastructure?

Lifestyle
1. What are their children doing? where do they study?
2. Where do they buy their groceries and clothes from? why?
3. What are the available health care facilities?
4. What are the difficulties faced to avail these facilities?
5. What is the level of awareness on sanitation,hygiene/health care?
6. What is the local food routine and spending on the same?
7. What is the local food routine and spending on the same?
8. Where do they sell their products? what are the channels that helps them to sell the products?

Craft Market
1. How is the market for the craft?
2. What are the changes in the current context?
3. What/How is the sales in the craft?
4. What is the demand rate for the products?
5. Who are the customers/users for this product ?
6. What is the cost of the product?
7. How do they communicate with the market outside?
8. How do they sell their products?
9. Who are their competitors?

Current Situation
1. Why are they changing the profession?
2. Why have they not moved to tech/automotive tools?
3. Why are they still practising the craft?
4. What is the future of the craft?

Trigger Points and Questions

The trigger points and questions helps us to understand the various elements of an Artisan's lifestyle and practices. These are a list of points to be kept in mind while interview artisans on field during the primary research.

To know about their Lifestyle
1. Name, Family details
  1. Names, Children, Education, Fees payment
2. Practices
3. Facilities around
4. Community
5. Aspirations
6. Travel
To know about their Work
1. What they make? Why?
2. Where do they sell? Why?
Role of festivals- Diwali, Sankranti etc.
How dependent are they on crafts?
Organizations, people working with them
1. Who’s helping or collaborating with them
2. What do they do?
3. What do they look into?
Influencing factors - people, technology, medium
What is the motivation towards craft?
Major seasons of raw material procuring, making, production and sales, Why?
How do they work during different seasons? Where do they work? Why do they work?
How do they change product strategy, process strategy, working strategy based on seasons?

Analysis

This is a list of various means/methods of analysing the data gathered during various stages of the research. This helps in understanding the data quantitatively or and qualitatively based on the information gathered by the team

1. Interview transcripts - Transcripts based on actual words of the stakeholders visited and interviewed
2. Group discussion - Discussion based on observations and understanding of team members
3. Keywords listing
4. Stakeholder Listing
5. Multiple mapping attempts
6. Picture observation
7. Insight listing
  1. Multiple aspects of the craft
8. Inference listing
9. Opportunity listing - (general / offseasonal)
  1. Prioritising top opportunities

Research representation - Synthesis Models

Representation of data gathered and analysed is an important step before moving further in the project. This helps to get an overview of the case study including various missed insights and opportunities.

1. Season Map
2. Stakeholder Mapping
3. System mapping (kinda)
4. Storyboard
5. Cluster map
6. Process map

Research Tools

1. Field visits- Interview with craftspersons, Focus group, NID faculties interview
2. Stakeholder mapping- to understand the stakeholders, their interrelationship and understand the amount of influence.
3. Mind Mapping/Concept mapping- to list out and connect insights and inferences from the multiple interviews
4. Picture and Video Observation- to understand lifestyle and get behavioral insights and inferences.
5. Process chart with gender roles- To map out the process involved and map it with the respective gender involved. Also to explain the effect of season on the process of creation.
6. Season chart production details- To explain the idea of season in seasonal craft and an introduction to the topic in the context of pottery.
7. Ecosystem mapping- For the entire system
8. Story board- To explain the sales side on production months and monsoon months.

Online Platforms

Online platforms played a major role in completing this project amidst the pandemic situation the world is facing. It helped us to keep in touch with constant discussions, file sharing and meetings. It also gave access to numerous resources online for research.

1. 1. Website hosting
    1. Google Sites
  2. Conference Calls
    1. Google Meet
    2. Whatsapp Video calls
    3. Google Hangouts
  3. Content sharing
    1. Google drive
  4. Parallel Brainstorming, Mapping
    1. Miro
    2. Google documents
    3. Google slides
    4. Google spreadsheet

Challenges

Challenges faced during various stages of research for the project

1. 1. Difficulty in finding the crafts dependent on seasons
  2. Limited resources and information on seasonal crafts online research papers, articles etc. and offline in terms of books etc.
  3. Completing the field research and service testing on field due to Covid 19
  4. Lack of clarity in people regarding the meaning of season and their role in handicraft sector

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Research Insights >

List of insights gathered through various research methods on and off the field, during the case study

Project Overview

Opportunity Areas

References

Case Study

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Research Methodologies

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